Miniature piano



MINIATURE P IANO Filed May 12, 1956 I IVNVZFNTOR.

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MINIATURE PIANO York Application May 12, 1936, Serial No. 79,262 In Great Britain May 18, 1935 9 Claims.

The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to miniature pianos of the type (hereinafter referred to as the type specified) which has the action (i. e. the mechanism for actuating the hammers) below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame.

A miniature piano having its action behind the iron frame may have the action of usual kind, the keys of usual length and arrangement,

10 and the connection between the keys and the action direct.

In order to permit of ease of tuning it has been proposed to transfer the action to the front of the iron frame. Naturally it is desirable if possible to use keys and action of standard type, but if this is to be done there are certain difficulties owing to the small amount of space available. For example, if the depth of the piano from front to rear is not to be increased unduly, the iron frame should be approximately in normal position, but the front of the action cannot be carried forward to any great extent since proper space must be provided for the knees of the user. This disadvantage can be overcome by shortening.

the keys considerably, (it is to be observed that normally the rear of each key would be connected to that part of the action remote from the frame), but such shortening aifects the touch of an instrument having its key and action lever or wippen directly connected as is usual. This latter objection can be largely obviated, for example, by connecting the key to its action indirectly through a multiplying leverage and a rod passing through the keys (see U. S. Patent No. 1,999,914). Alternatively each key can be pivoted at its rear end (instead of between its ends) and the action actuated by a rod connected to the key between its ends; this again affects the touch.

It is to be observed that there is a considerable number of factors to be considered in the manufacture of a miniature piano and that a construction which is an improvement as regards one factor may introduce a disadvantage which neutral- 45 izes this improvement when the piano is regarded as a whole. It is also to be observed that a miniature piano cannot be produced merely by reducing the size of the individual parts since the parts themselves are already as small as is practically 5 desirable-it should be noted that a miniature piano is not a toy piano.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide a miniature piano of the type specified in which a standard type of action can be retained i but in which the loss in the leverage due to shortness of the key is not present or is overcome to render the touch satisfactory. The present invention consists in the use of a novel connection between the rear end of a key and its wippen which connection calls for very little or no extra space from front to rear, permits of the key extending rearwardly close to the iron frame, permits of a direct connection between the key and the wippen, and permits the loss in leverage due to shortening of the key to be overcome (when such shortening is effected) in such a manner that the touch is satisfactory.

The present invention comprises in or for a miniature piano of the type specified, the combination with an action and a key of a connection between the key and its wippen comprising a rod which is cranked to slope upwardly and rearwardly over the action; and further, the relative relationship between the key, the rod and parts of the action.

It is to be observed that with such a connection, the use of an underdamper can be retained, it being well known that an underdamper instrument is, other things being comparable, better than an overdamper instrument.

One construction illustrative of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a key and its connection to the action.

The action generally indicated at i is below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame 2. Each key 3 is pivoted between its ends as at 4 on the key frame 5 in the usual way. Its rear end is shortened but extends rearwardly close to the frame and is directly connected to the front end of the wippen 6 by a stiif cranked rod 1 having an approximately vertical lower part and an upper part that slopes upwardly and rearwardly as indicated at 8 over the action I to a point underneath the rear end of the key where it again becomes vertical as indicated at 9 for connection to the key. The opposite ends of the cranked rod 1 are threaded and carry round faced nuts I0, I], whereby adjustment of the action is effected. The vertical part of the rod 7 may pass through a guide l2 and carried on the hammer rest l3; such guide is not always necessary but when employed it ensures that the motion of the vertical part of the rod 1 shall be correct. The vertical part of the rod passes in front of and close to the action. Thus the presence of the connection adds little to the space required by the action in front of the iron frame.

In the construction illustrated the action is directly connected to its key without intermediate levers and the overall depth of the frame and action from front to rear is little, if any, greater 5 than in the case of a rear action instrument.

It is to be observed that the cranked rod should be stiff enough to prevent whipping during use as this would aifect the touch. To overcome the eifect of the shortening of the rear end of the key the distance between the fulcrum ll of the wippen 6 and the point of its connection to the jack IS in relation to the length of the wippen is increased. It will be understood that in an over-strung piano the cranked rods 1 while lying in a vertical plane will not all necessarily themselvesbevertical. That istosaytheywill beso disposedandshaped asto allowfor the difference in the relative disposition of the keys and the hammers which they achiate.

Various modifications may be made in the construction shown in the drawing and above particularly described, within the purview of the invention.

What is claimed is:

2 1. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame, the combination with an action and a key of a connection between the key and the wippen of the action comprising a rod cranked to slope upwardly and rearwardly over the action.

2. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame, the combination with an action and a key pivoted between its ends of a connection between the key and the wippen of the action comprising a rod cranked to slope upwardly and rearwardly over the action.

3. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame, the combination with an action and a key pivoted between its ends and having its rear end shortened of a connection between the key and the wippen of the action comprising a rod cranked to slope upwardly and rearwardly over the action. 9

4. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame, the combination with an action and a key of a connection between the key and the wippen of so the action comprising a rod cranked to slope upwardly and rearwardly over the action, and a guide for said rod.

5. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboardand in front of the iron frame.

the combination with an action of a key pivoted between its ends and having its rear end shortened, a connection between the rear end of said key and the wippen of the action comprising a cranked rod extending in a substantially vertical plane in front of the action and then upwardly and rearwardly over the action to the rear of the key.

6. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame, the combination with an action of a key pivoted between its ends and having its rear end shortened, a connection between the rear end of said key and the wlppen of the action comprising a cranked rod extending in a substantially vertical plane in front of the action and then upwardly and rearwardly over the action to the rear of the key, and a guide for said rod.

'7. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame, in combination, an action comprising a. wippen having a jack pivoted thereon, a key pivoted between its ends and having a foreshortened rear end, means connecting the rear of the key to the wippen, the distance from the fulcrum of the wippen to the pivot of the jack being greater, relative to the distance between the said fulcrum and said connecting means, than normal, to compensate for the shortening of the rear of the key, whereby the proper touch is maintained.

8. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame, in combination, an action including a wippen having'a jack pivoted thereon, a. key pivoted between its ends its rear end being foreshortened and extending over the action, and a rigid member extending from the rear of said key downwardly toward the action then at an angle to the front of the action and thence downwardly in a substantially vertical plane close to the action and having its lower end connected to the free end of the wippen.

9. In a piano having the action below the level of the keyboard and in front of the iron frame, in combination, an action including a wippen having a jack pivoted thereon, a key pivoted between its ends its rear end being foreshortened and extending over the action, and a. rigid member extending from the rear of said key downwardly toward the action then at an angle to the front of the action and thence downwardly in a substantially vertical plane close to the action and having its lower end connected to the free end of the wippen, the pivot for the jack being closer to the free end of the wippen than normal to compensate for the shortening of the key, whereby the proper touch is maintained.

' STANLEY RICHARD BRIDGES. 

